A Brief History
Founder Todd Burleson has traveled the globe incessantly (from eight Everest expeditions and the Seven Summits, to Greenland, Mongolia and Iran), not only out of his love of guiding but his never-ending pursuit of perfecting the Alpine Ascents approach.

In 1986, there wasn't much of a business model for international guiding, but making a living at something you love has its merits. While Todd's proficiency in climbing was well regarded, he also showed a flair for not only guiding and teaching, but looking at mountains as to how they might be successfully and safely guided (routes, camps, guide ratios, supplies and itineraries). From our early successes on Himalayan peaks, this approach soon took hold on mountains around the world.

Willi Prittie joined on with Todd and added his relentless pursuit of perfection and joy of the mountains to the zeitgeist of Alpine Ascents. This unique combination snowballed into the creation of some of the finest logistics, training and guiding standards in the industry.

With this recipe, Todd and Willi began sculpting a reputation as a climber's outfitter. This included Willi maniacally developing the Alpine Ascents Mountaineering School, with the theme that any graduates should possess enough safety skills to call themselves a climber. Enter Gordon Janow, who brought his eclectic background of writing, business and many years of traveling through Asia, to galvanize Alpine Ascents as a business and mindset. This led to other strategic and opportune partnerships with old climbing friends such as Vernon Tejas, Peter Athans, and Jose Luis Peralvo, as well as recruiting, developing and training a host of younger guides that eventually became the core of the Alpine Ascents guiding staff.

The office staff, not to be outdone, put the expertise of Matt Lepisto, followed later by Ellen Cravens, Melanie Hodgman, Matt Miller and Gary Harrington, along with Todd and Gordon, to the task of creating and organizing all that manifests the visions of guides and climbers alike. Most of the original members are with us today, keeping it a jovial and enthusiastic (bordering on obsessive) team.

Alpine Ascents' reputation is top-notch within the industry. I appreciate the high-quality guides provided on my climbs so far. They always seem to be the yardstick that other services measure their guides to. It is always a silent pleasure on my part to see other guides on climbs come and get advice from Alpine Ascents guides on the particular climb - Matt M.

Alpine Ascents International Today
Alpine Ascents International leads expeditions that have become benchmarks of quality in the climbing community. We operate what we believe is the finest mountaineering school in the country. This expertise is based upon years of accumulated experience-not just from individual mountain guides, but through experience on particular mountains where details are fine-tuned over time. We maintain our process of multi-leveled and critical evaluations for each expedition. Innovations like daily weather reports, established season-long base camps, environmental pioneering, and operating our trips with small climber-to-guide ratios led by Alpine Ascents guides are just some of the factors that keep us in the forefront.

Our guides are the primary reason that Alpine Ascents has built such a unique reputation. Many of our guides have been with us for most of their careers and have had the opportunity to participate in a wealth of climbs and programs. Many are not seasonal employees who may teach a few courses and head back to "other lives"; they are committed to a life of climbing.

When I compare Alpine Ascents International with other guided groups I see in the mountains, I always feel like I'm using the best guide service. Never have had a doubt about that. John D.

Along with these elements, our commitment to the environment and ethical global business practices makes Alpine Ascents the most respected and well-rounded mountain guiding company in the industry. Alpine Ascents is proud to be one of a small minority of companies authorized to guide on Denali, Mt. Rainier and throughout Washington's Cascades.

Program Philosophy ~ Mission Statement
Alpine Ascents is committed to developing safe, self-reliant and environmentally-conscious mountaineers, and offering courses and expeditions of unsurpassed quality throughout the world. Our business practices stress ethical and culturally aware travel.

There is no question that Alpine Ascents is the best group to climb with. This is my second time climbing with Alpine Ascents an the experience only cemented my opinions that this is a group dedicated to providing great guides, a terrific experience and a safe environment. Everyone I have come into contact with from Alpine Ascents has been professional, courteous and extremely good at their job. I would not hesitate to recommend Alpine Ascents International, and I am looking forward to my next climbs with your team. Omar A.

AMGA Accreditation
Alpine Ascents is one of the few outfitters to be fully accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association The AMGA accreditation process generally focuses on instruction and reviews areas such as operating guidelines, permits, business practices and guides training. "Accreditation provides a consistent and meaningful standard by which to judge the reliability and professionalism of a climbing service. It informs the general public that all guides in the program have received formal training appropriate to the terrain they guide."

Safety Record
Our safety record stands as the finest in the guiding industry. This is not simply a promotional statement but a testament to our conservative nature when it comes to decision-making. While mountaineering has inherent risks, our route planning, camp selection, student instruction and leadership training starts with a concern for the well-being of climbers. This holds true for both the mountaineering school and expedition climbing. When making decisions and organizing climbs, avoiding injury and sickness is our primary focus. At each program's conclusion, our prevention program is reviewed and updated. Climber and guide recommendations are implemented as well, as we constantly update our injury prevention program.

Mount Rainier Award
In 2006, Alpine Ascents was awarded a highly coveted guiding concession on Mt. Rainier. This prestigious honor was granted to Alpine Ascents based on our 1) safety record; 2) environmental leadership; 3) quality of services; and 4) the experience and qualifications of our guide staff. We are honored to have the privilege of guiding such a beautiful peak.

About Our Climbs & Mountaineering School
Our reputation began in the Himalayas and quickly spread to climbs around the globe. Today, our guides are recognized as leaders in the international climbing world and act as a resource for climbers, publishers and media organizations. The Alpine Ascents Mountaineering School is considered one of the premier climbing schools in North America. And we have been repeatedly praised and acknowledged for our expertise by a variety of media sources and industry professionals.

All Alpine Ascents expeditions are carefully prepared. This means investigating quality climbs, selecting optimum routes, supplying top-quality provisions, and developing safety programs for each journey. Before departing on any expedition, we provide climbers with a wealth of information, and guides are available to answer questions. We realize helping climbers achieve personal goals starts well before the climb. We make great effort to be accessible, and respond quickly to all phone calls and e-mail inquiries. Unlike many organizations, we plan and lead our own climbs. The majority of our team members come from personal recommendations, and many are repeat climbers.

Leading cohesive groups is fundamental to our philosophy. Before any member joins our team, we require background information on their conditioning, and their climbing/hiking biography. This helps to ascertain whether each climber can be a safe team member and allows our guides to organize the most effective groups.

If you want a first-rate unparalleled experience, you will go with Alpine Ascents. I am biased, of course, but I have had friends go to the same mountain with different services only to find themselves going back with Alpine Ascents because it just can't be done any better, any safer, and any more professional and courteous than those guys and gals. If you follow their plan, chances are with a little luck, you will find yourself in a position to get to the top-the right way... You listen to these guys and gals and you will leave a better climber, a smarter climber, and a safer climber-with the proper respect for the mountains and the outdoors. Brian P.

The Seven Summits
The Seven Summits company since 1986, Alpine Ascents has been guiding the highest mountain on each continent with more consistency and success than any other guide service. Our success in guiding the seven summits is the highest in the industry. Since Dick Bass first proposed the endeavor, a significant percentage of climbers to complete the seven summits have climbed with or guided for Alpine Ascents International.
We have put more people (266) on the summit of Everest than any other company. Fueled by an integrated passion of travel and climbing, we feel privileged to have second homes on each continent and look forward to sharing these glorious peaks with you.

Leave No Trace principles are fundamental to our program, and we encourage all who climb and trek with us to understand proper wilderness practices. We help facilitate this effort by passing on Leave No Trace training and literature to every Alpine Ascents climber.

Business Ethics
While many companies market their eco-friendliness, we feel business ethics is a more encompassing term and a principle against which we test nearly every decision. While businesses are faced with many difficult decisions, we believe organizations have a responsibility towards the greater good of the planet and we strive to meet that goal. More than the right thing to do, ethical decisions and actions make operating a business like Alpine Ascents even more interesting and satisfying. It also helps us develop like-minded climbers who share similar values.

Individual Attention
Whether you are attending our Mountaineering School, climbing with us to the summit of Everest, trekking in the Himalayas or climbing in Antarctica, we feel that personal attention, and prompt and courteous responses,are of utmost importance. Gear, locations, fitness levels, and in-country knowledge are crucial elements in preparing for a trip, and we treat every correspondence with utmost care and consideration.

We have always felt that personal attention is an integral part of putting together team-oriented expeditions. We understand that being a premier mountaineering company is not only about offering quality services, but about helping each individual achieve their personal goals.

www.AlpineAscents.com
Alpine Ascents' award-winning website is where one can find up-to-the-minute information on current expeditions, staff, gear and new trips. Detailed expedition information - including itineraries, gear lists, reading lists, climber's comments, slide shows and helpful links-offer folks the chance to delve deeply into what is going on in the mountaineering world.

A benchmark in the field of cybercasts, the site provides family and friends the opportunity to follow many of our climbs, as team dispatches are regularly posted. Not only can one feel the excitement of watching a team move up and down the mountain, the archived cybercasts provide an excellent resource and learning tool for researching expeditions. Please take a few moments to immerse yourself in our cyberspace and enjoy the show!

What We Expect
Though our courses and expeditions vary in difficulty and skill level, we expect participants to have a positive attitude, and to be physically and mentally prepared for the demands of the journey. We take the "team effort "idea seriously, and presume each climber shares our passion for mountains, cultures and environmental issues.

Connections Abroad & How We Operate
Nearly all of our expeditions employ local climbers, porters and/or guides. These local outfitters are carefully reviewed, not only for their expertise but as long-term partners with Alpine Ascents. Though we send an Alpine Ascents guide on each expedition, local guides are an excellent resource to understanding the climbing, trekking and culture in each of the areas we visit. Many of these outfitters have been with us since our inception, as we believe long-term relationships help foster environmentally sound and high-quality expeditions.

Climbing as Exploration
Climbers are indeed modern-day explorers with particular dreams and visions. We look to carry the rhythm of exploration by highlighting not only our climbs, treks and courses, but the overall experience of these journeys. Whether attending our mountaineering school, trekking in the Himalayas or attempting an 8000m peak, we treat each expedition as a unique exploration. We realize that every team member is an adventurer in his or her own right, and joins us to embrace a challenge and to learn through experience. We encourage you to visit our website to gather additional information about each expedition.